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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-14-2013 12:25 PM

fsp421

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

I have owned a 381 (1999) for five years and we are thrilled with her.
We did replace keelbolts when we purchased. I see some rust now that it is hauled for winter and I will attend to that. Marina claims to be able to fix it.
No other problems. Enjoy it.

02-14-2013 06:11 AM

aquaholic

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

Hi paddy, bought our 96' Oceanis 381 in September 2011 (UK) and have never looked back, i dont know what the draught is of the one you are looking at but ours is 1.62mt with a flared keel base, also has furling main, as for pointing I think she points very well and also fast in most winds. As for keel bolts, I believe all EU Benetubs have iron Keels and problems are not common, i checked and cleaned of the heads with a wire brush and painted, surveyor was not concerned at all. In fact a friend of mine hit a rock in the Channel Islands in his Oceanis 331 at about 6 knots, being convinced there was serious damage he had the boat lifted only to find just a dink to the base of the keel. Any questions drop me a line.

01-01-2013 10:18 PM

fsp421

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

i own a 1999 381, we love it and hope you enjoy it if you are going ahead.

Keel bolts were replaced on suggestion of surveyor and seem fine since.

Sail on

12-12-2012 07:16 PM

Faster

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

You'll have to do some investigation... some Beneteaus, esp US built ones, may well have lead keels. In point of fact the 'bolts' (actually studs) on a cast iron keel might be changeable much more easily than any lead keel, depending how they are installed. Many are threaded into threaded holes the main keel body making individual replacement, even afloat, a 'possibility' if necessary - something not do-able with the typical cast-in 'J" bolts of the typical lead keel.

IMO an iron keel is not a deal breaker provided it's been looked after and properly sealed and protected from oxidation.. any visible rust upon haulout is not a good sign.

12-12-2012 06:52 PM

Paddyd

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

opps what should I be looking for on the keel bolts ?????

12-12-2012 06:51 PM

Paddyd

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

Oh yes this boat was never a charter boat ......2 owner boat ..... thanks for the insight on the liner ...this is something I can work around .......
tell me more about the keel bolts ???? what should I looking for ????

12-12-2012 06:49 PM

Paddyd

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

It is 2000 Oceanis 381 ...engine hrs are around 400 hours ....thanks for all the insights , we are going to step back for several days and do some serious thinking
Is there anything that you feel we should pay closer attention to on this boat ?????

12-12-2012 05:38 PM

Faster

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

Are we possibly talking about a 'Moorings' 38?.. one of the Beneteaus made expressly for the charter trade. Not all were sold into charter, but odds are. So another thing to look for is excessively high engine hours.

I have never liked that fabric headliner approach, it seems always to either lose its form and 'look' crappy, or decides to break down altogether and start separating. It's certainly possible to redo/replace it with something more attractive and practical, but it can be a big job. It would be a big issue for me as far as price negotiation.

12-12-2012 05:04 PM

hellosailor

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

paddy, leaking hatches and portlights are best fixed by replacing the gaskets. If you don't want to get adventurous, Beneteau can probably sell you replacements. Use Armorall or a similar product on the replacments and they will last much longer. Ignore them, and they'll fail similarly. Simple cleaning is not likely to help.

If the "wallpaper" was foam backed, foam often breaks down and crumbles over time and the only solutions are to clean (scrape/scrub with a brush, wire wheel, abrasive block) down to solid fiberglass, then put up a new material or paint it, install battens, etc. as you choose. You can use a permanent "headliner" type spray cement and try to glue the old stuffback up, but that's a kludge and often an ugly one.

12-12-2012 10:41 AM

sailortjk1

Re: Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

If you are looking for a good family coastal cruising boat, It will meet your requirements.
The statements above about roller furling main and wing keel our correct. She is not going to point well. I know from experience. We did convert out our main sail for when we give it a go at some long distance racing, so a good sail loft can make a non furling sail to work for special limited occasions.
Our head liner is solid, not fabric. It is nice that Benny provided access to points that have deck hardware installed, but it is very inconvenient if you want to add a piece of hardware in a different location.
We don't have material covering the exposed walls, ours are covered in veneered wood / fake wood paneling.
I am only speaking in general terms, I can not address the exact model as we sail a 361.

What year is the boat?
What model? I know you said Oceanis 38, but I thought that it wasn't until recently, say the past 6 years or so that they went with single digit model numbers. That being the case, I would not expect the liner material to be falling down already.

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